Control



Aug. 17, 1937. v. w. KLIESRATH CONTROL Original Filed Jan. 2l, 1953 Vfcvore W KUESEHTH GN QN INVENTOR.

Patented Aug. 17, 1.937

UNITED f s'm'rlazs ooN'rRoL Victor W. Kliesrath, South Bend, Ind., assignor to The Steel Wheel Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of New York4 Original application January 21, 1933, Serial No.

Divided and this application January z3, 1,935, serial No. 3,035 re claims. (ci. 'I4- 502) This invention relates to push and pull actutors particularly of the Bowdencable type. An object of the invention is to provide ya simple push-pull actuator which is positive in its action y 5. in both directions regardless of the angle through which it operates and which is particularly adapted to transmit both tension and compressive forces in a positive manner between two relatively -moving parts.

The push-pull actuator of this invention is particularly adapted for use in connection with the driving mechanism described and claimed in my application Serial No. 652,953, filed Jan. 21, 1933, oi which this application is a division. It will,

however, be apparent that the same is also of general application and can be used wherever it is desired to apply a compressive and/or tension has a spherical concave face on one side and ay spherical convex face on the other side, the ele- 5 ments intertting when assembled in a series to be connected by a series of ball and socket joints.

Thus free angular movement in any direction is made possible.

Each compression-element is also provided with 0 a central hole through which the cable is threaded and the cable is secured to the end members of the series of compression elements to provide a unitary assembly. i

Due to the ball and socket intertting joints of the compression elements the total length of the passage formed by the holes therethrough remains constant regardless of the angularity of the actuator and the over-al1 outside length of the series .of compression elements is also con- 0 stant. This is'a very important feature since it eliminates any tendency to stretch the cable and also provides a positive control in both directions without any lost motion.

Each end of the tension cable is preferably ,m connected to an abutment member formed with a spherical concave or convex face to interflt with the adjacent compressive element. 'I'he abutment members are bored to form, in effect, a sleeve-and the cable extends through the bore,

50 there being a nut on the cable engaging a shoulder in the bore adjustably to secure the cable to the sleeve. A suitable control member is con.-

nected to one abutment member and the other is connected to any desired element to be con- 55 trolled.

'I'he assemblyof the cable and compression elements is slidably received in a suitable conduit, vpreferably iiexible. One end of this conduit may be secured adjacent the control and the other adjacent the part to be controlled.

Other objects, advantages ,and novelfeatures of the inventionl will be apparent from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing showing one embodiment thereof. It is to be understood,v 10

however, that the drawing is for the purpose of illustration only and is not to betaken as a definition of the limits of the invention.

In thev drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view with parts in section and parts 15 in elevation showing one embodiment of the lin/ vention, and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged partial sectional view o1' the construction show n in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, in detail thereis shown a push-pull actuator embodying the pres- 9 ent invention and constituted by a ilexible tension cable Ill having threadedthereon a series y f compression elements I2. As shown, these compression elements are parti-spherical and have a portion of one side cut away to form a con-` cave spherical socket into which a convex spherical portion of an adjacent element is adapted to slidably t. Thus theelements are connected by' a series of ball and socket joints so thatthey can be angularly moved in any direction and the over-all length of the series will remain constant.

Each compression element* is bored and when they are assembled the bores form a passageways through which the cable is threaded. As best'seen in Fig. 2, the edges of these passageways are beveled as at I4 to provide suitable clearance for the cableI upon bending, but the cable has a relatively close lit at the central poro tion of the bores.

In order to secure the compression members on the cable suitable abutment or end members I6 are secured to the opposite ends thereof in.

y abutting engagement with the compressionelements. One of these end\members 'has a concave spherical end'for forming a ball and socket joint with the convex side of the adjacent compression y element and the other a convex spherical end to f form a similar joint with the concave side of its adjacent spherical element. l

The end members I6 ,are bored with bores of two different sizes to form a shoulder I8 intermediate the ends thereof and the cable is ex` tended into the bore. Preferably the end of. the

cable is screw threaded or it is provided with a screw threaded extension onto which is screwed a nut 20 engaging the shoulder I8 to hold the cable in the sleeve. By this means the cable is iirmly held and can be adjusted to the desired tension.

The sleeve I6 on one end may be connected as by screw threads to any desired operating or controlmember 22 for pushing and/or pulling the same and this operating member may be connected to or form a part of any desired lever or plunger mechanism. The sleeve I6 at the other end may be connected to any desired mechanism conduit is constituted by two concentric spirally wound members 26 and 28, the inner one of which presents a smooth inner surface to facilitate sliding of the cable and compression element assembly. The ends of the conduit are secured to members 30 and 32 which may be secured to or form part of suitable supports iixed adjacent the control mechanism and mechanism to be. controlled respectively.

Thus there is provided by the present invention a push-pull actuator which is positive in its action in both'directions, which has no lost motion in either `direction and which is substantially unaffected by changes in angularity. While only one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent that various changes might be made therein Without departing fromv the scope of the invention and it is not intended that thescope of the invention shall be limited to the form shown o'r otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A push and pull actuator including a flexible cable having threaded thereon a series of balland-socket jointed compression elements each of said elements having opposed concave and convex surfaces of -equal radii, the distance between said surfaces being less than the diameterof the element, and a iiexible conduit receiving said cable and elements, and in which the assembly n of said elements and cable is slidable as a unit.

2. A pushl and pull actuator comprising a iiexible tension member, a series of compression elements on said member each having its opposed faces substantially spherically convex and spherically concave respectively whereby the'length oi' the series is constant regardlessof its angularity and a conduit slidably receiving the member and elements.

3. In a push-pull actuator a. series of ball and socket jointed compression elements each having a perforation therethrough, said perforations being enlarged adjacent the surfaces ofthe element forming in eiect an elongated passageway of constant length'regardless of its angularity and a tension member extending through said passageway and connecting the end elements of said series.

4. In a push-pull actuator a series of ball and socket jointed compression elements each having a perforation therethrough, said perforations being enlarged adjacent the surfaces of the element forming in eect an elongated passageway of constant length regardless of its angularity and a cable of constant length extending through said passageway and connecting the end members of the series.

5. In a push and pull actuator, a ilexible cable having threaded thereon a series oi' ball and socket jointed compression elements, each of said elements having opposed concave and convex surfaces of equal radii, the maximum distance between said surfaces being substantially equal to said radii.

6. In a push and pull actuator, a flexible cable having threaded thereon a series of ball and socket jointed compression elements, each of said elements having opposed concave and convex surfaces of equal radii, the maximum distance between said surfaces being substantially equal to said radii, and each of said elements having an opening between said surfaces through which the cable extends, said opening being of substantially and increasing in diameter adjacent its ends.

VICTOR W. KLIESRATH. 

